Vont 4 Pack LED Camping Lantern, LED Lanterns, Suitable Survival Kits for Hurricane, Emergency Light for Storm, Outages, Outdoor Portable Lanterns, Black, Collapsible, (Batteries Included)

You know how it is; you order something based on the claims made by the manufacturer, only to be underwhelmed when you get it. THIS IS NOT ONE OF THOSE PRODUCTS! I ordered two of these lanterns after days of research and debate, even after actually ordering and returning another one that I wasn't happy with. I was looking for something small, lightweight, bright, and long-lasting on batteries to take with us to West Africa where the power can be very unreliable. The first lantern I ordered was the Energizer Solar Rechargeable 9-LED Lantern. It claims to be 66 lumens and after watching several video reviews for it, I decided to try it. People reviewing it claimed it was quite bright and that the LEDs lit the defuser tubes very evenly, similar to flourecent tubes. I received the lantern and charged it in the sun for five hours, then tried it out and was so underwhelmed by the brightness. I have a small flourecent lantern that runs on my tool batteries and it is far brighter. Also, you can clearly see the LEDs at each end of the tubes and then it gets very dim in the middle. Honestly, it looks very bad to me. For its large size and weight it simply would not be useful at all in providing very useful light; maybe enough for an emergency, but not much beyond that. I then considered the UST 30-Day Lantern and almost bought that one, until somehow I stumbled upon the Divine LED one at the very last minute. I'm not sure where it came from, as I had never seen it before in all my days of searching, but... there it was. I don't question these things; just accept them as a blessing. The reviews were so positive, I figured that surely all these people can't be wrong. But, rated at only 60 Lumens, I was skeptical. Still, because it was so small, light, and simple to use, I figured, what's the worst that could happen? I might have to return it. So, I ordered two of them and they came a couple days later. I easily installed the 3 AA batteries and out to the dark garage I went (where I had tested the other lanterns.) I first turned on my flourencet lantern as a basis for comparison, then turned it off and slid the Divine LED lantern open.... Holy mother of LEDs!!! I was so surprised by how bright this thing is, especially for it's size! WOW! I then tested it out more later that night in the house, in various large and small rooms, and again it was very bright. It produces plenty of light to light a large room nicely. I find it very hard to believe that it could only be rated at 60 lumens, especially given the one I sent back was supposed to be 66 and it did next to nothing to produce any light. This lantern appears to be made well. It doesn't feel cheap at all. The slide action of opening and closing feels very solid and smooth. I love the simplicity of operation. Unlike so many where you have to click through a bunch of different settings, you just slide it up to turn it on and slide it down to close and turn off. It also makes it very compact for travel. If I had to make one small suggestion for this product it would be to have a defused lens as opposed to clear, as the LEDs are SO bright that it's like looking at the sun if you look directly at it. If they were slightly defused I think it would soften that up quite a bit. Maybe a ribbed or slightly frosted lens would be best, as it shouldn't reduce the overal brightnes. This is by no means a complaint though - I love it just as it is! So, there you have it. A product that far EXCEEDS expectations. I highly recommend these and will likely be ordering a several more prior to our trip to take as gifts. UPDATE 4/6/2015 I ordered four more of these lanterns and received them yesterday. I have tested them all and they all work just as perfectly as the original two did. Quality seems to be very consistent. I will be taking all six of them on our trip to Africa and predict that I will not return with any of them, as everyone will want one.

I purchased a 4-pack of these lanterns in May of 2021. They are part of my hurricane kit and for the occasional power outage. My biggest complaint with most LED lanterns is that the only way to control its brightness is to partially close the top. However, the battery life is not improved so it doesn't help when dealing with a long term outage. I decided to buy some PWM (pulse-width modulated) speed controllers to test how easy they can be installed without interfering with the lantern's operation. I ordered a few from Amazon (search PAGOW). There are multiple sellers from which to choose but these had decent reviews and the potentiometer has a built-in switch. The installation was fairly quick and the final result doesn't look bad. Pictures are included of the modification. The extra current draw is ~5mA and small compared to the nominal draw of the lantern at 1.1A+ with new batteries before the modification. If you want to experiment and test on your own lantern, you will need the following including the PWM controller: soldering iron, desoldering tool, 2x10" 22AWG flexible(silicone sheathed) wires, 5x6" stranded wires, heat shrink tubing, 1/4" drill bit, 1/8" drill bit, phillips-head screwdriver, crimping tool with screw cutter (depends on space under the cover). It is helpful to use red and black(or blue) colored wires for the battery connections to keep things easy to follow. Try not to use solid wire (ie Cat 5) as it could end up breaking when you least expect it. Directions: 1. Take off the bottom screw-on cover. 2. Remove the batteries and 4 small screws for the battery holder. The bottom cover only goes back on one way so mark its orientation before removal. 3. Take note of which wires are + and -. On mine, the red is positive and blue is negative. Desolder those two wires. One should be soldered to the switch in the base. 4. Remove the long phillips screw in the center of the base and pull off the top assembly. Use a marker to show how much of the screw is above the nut before removing it. 5. Using the 1/8" bit, drill two holes in the top assembly like in one of the pictures. The location was chosen because the wires will be hidden once reassembled. 6. Fish the two desoldered wires from the battery holder through the center of the lantern and through the two holes that were drilled. 7. Feed the two 10" wires through the lantern soldering one end of each wire to the same locations on the battery holder as the two desoldered wires. 8. The PWM controller will need the potentiometer desoldered and reconnected to the circuit board with the five wires. Add heat shrink to the wires for electrical isolation. 9. Connect the two 10" wires to the power + and power - connectors on the pcb. 10. The other two wires connect to the motor + and motor - on the terminal block. 11. Double-check the connections and install the batteries and test to see if everything works. 12. Drill a 1/4" hole in the center of the top cover. The potentiometer might have a small nub that will need to be removed. 13. Insert the potentiometer and secure it with the washer and nut that was supplied with the controller pcb. Note: When reassembling, the center screw might need to be shortened to allow the top cover to be installed with the potentiometer. Use the crimping tool for this. The same goes for possible removal of the terminal block. Heat shrink the pcb to isolate it. It will still be a tight fit so use some patience. Results: I installed the now 2 year old batteries that came with the lantern and turned it on to the lowest setting. The lantern is still going after 6 days. It isn't very bright after several days of runtime but it will still make a great night light. The knob also allows it to be used near its brightest setting. As the batteries get older, you will notice the max brightness is starting to diminish. There is also some loss of brightness due to the controller but the added function is worth it.

Note (May 2108): FIRST BOUGHT VONT LANTERN NEARLY THREE YEARS AGO (paid more $$) and despite seeing the many 'copies' of the VONT Lantern, this week RECEIVED THIS 4-PACK from Amazon (real deal, giving couple to friends), ONE IN LIVING ROOM, ONE IN MASTER BEDROOM, ANOTHER in NEW SUV, VONT IS LITERALLY THE LIGHT USED MOST WHEN THE LIGHTS GO OUT AND STAY OUT (Living in National Forrest, every time there's a storm, blowing a tree limb or entire tree on power lines, it's nothing for power to go out for 8-12 hours and more). IN 2017, Hurricane Irma, power was out here for NINE DAYS. Back in 2005, almost 3-WEEKS before power was restored in our remote area (it's 38 miles to Wal-Mart OR any major store, also 15-miles to gas station, should have idea) . FYI-- Cabin has three different types of Lantern, including VONT, plus more than FIFTEEN Flashlights ( three Dorce >2" x 7" size, six of Dorce 1"x3" pocket size (real bright for size), ASP baton flashlight combo (takes N cell pain and $$$), ONE T6 Aluminum CREE 3000 Lumen waterproof cost 3x MORE using three #18650 rechargeable battery only light that is brighter than the VONT. ORIGINAL REVIEW: PRO: COMPACT SIZE, BRIGHT LIGHT, and repeating what everyone's saying, CRAZY BRIGHT LIGHT( you will see spots if looking directly at light when turning on) ... EASY TO USE = TURN ON you PULL HANDLES (or top) UP and to TURN OFF = PUSH DOWN TOP UNTIL STOPS/CLOSED (no light). WIRE HANDLE can be Up or Down, when UP, the Double Wire Handle makes the Lantern EASY TO CARRY OR TO HANG, LANTERN USES the LED CREE type bulbs which are sturdy with incredible LIFE expectancy (many 1000's hours, no bulb to break or change). CREE LED give off no real heat compared to iridescent type bulbs, VONT Lantern is STURDY n SAFE even when used by Children (real important if camping with family, avoiding ANY chance of FIRE, at least from this Lantern), CAN SPEAK FROM OWNING VONT FOR NEARLY THREE YEARS, UNIT DOES TURN OFF WHEN DOWN AND USING Panasonic Eneloop Rechargeable battery, it had been more than 6-9 months since the lantern was charged, then ALONG COMES Hurricane Irma, was still able read for FIVE HOURS with no dimming of light. Second or third night, installed another set of batteries. WHEN DOWN, THIS LANTERN IS VERY COMPACT, EASY TO STORE OUT OF THE WAY ON SHELVE UNTIL NEEDED. BUYING IN A 4-PACK IS FANTASTIC VALUE, NOT JUST A GREAT VALUE, IT IS QUALITY BUILT, THIS REVIEWER GAVE VONT THE 5th-STAR FOR IT'S INITIAL RATING ( REVIEWER'S NORMAL PRACTICE IS HOLD BACK AT LEAST 1-STAR UNTIL A PRODUCT'S LONG TERM LONGEVITY CAN BE DETERMINED. VONT IS A SOLID 5-STAR, GIVING BUYER A REALLY GOOD LOOKING HIGH QUALITY LANTERN THAT IS A FANTASTIC DEAL FOR $$$$$ WHEN YOU BUY THIS FOUR PACK. (IN 2018, BUYING MORE, giving a couple away to friend for birthday, adding couple for spares (needed TODAY for two hours or so after storm hit, living in National Forrest, doesn't take hurricane to blow tree limbs or trees down to take out power line and NO lights.) CON: Well thought deal was just OK some three years back, paying $10 or so, and don't remember if battery was included, BUY FOUR VONT, FOR THIS PRICE VONT INCLUDES THREE BATTERIES WHICH MANY OF THE 'Copies' do not include battery, WITH THREE 'AA' BATTERY, VONT 4-PACK ON AMAZON IS A "steal" of a Deal today,,SHOP and Compare on Amazon site, you"ll find many , many, COPIES of VONT light, Look exactly like the Vont, some may be cheaper, however, prices isn't everything. (cheaper or not, battery or not, VONT IS ORIGINAL & VONT does furnishes with battery as noted in ad. ((( FYI this Reviewer's Opinion: ANY product which needs a battery and does NOT furnish the battery; you gotta wonder what the company is hiding when customer cannot use or turn on when they receive the product. COMPARING PRICE? Three (3) AA Battery COST MONEY, comparing total cost, ADD price of battery to lantern, Personal FYI. Having so many flashlights, unless rich it is not practical to buy Store Battery; six decades has shown best rechargeable battery is Panasonic Eneloop battery, rechargeable battery keeps 80% of charge after five years, look at battery specs. LONG life using with plenty of light to READ by in TOTAL darkness FYI MAY 2018 UPDATE: Owned now for nearly THREE years - the VONT...... IS ...... MY GO TO LANTERN when lights go out (OFTEN in National Forrest, using today in May 2018 when storm winds took out power for more than 2 hours, couple times in day, Hurricane Irma knock trees down, taking out power lines,, using eeloop battery , not unusual for a storm to knock electric out for 13-14hours,, DARK as long as 7 hours, used this lantern to read by and had juice left over (charged batteries next day when power's back on). HAVE other 'Lantern' , brass one LOOKS 'pretty' BUT the light is NOT nearly as bright, nor stays lit for half as long as this lantern. UPDATING REVIEW AFTER Buying MORE, TWO for gift, two for added backup (Hurricane Irma had power out here for NINE DAYS was NO fun)

I gave this product four stars instead of five simply because it does not work very well for me as a table-top lantern. If you close it most of the way, however, it does help to make the brightness of this tiny light livable and it does do a sufficient job to light up the picnic table at the campsite. If you are seeking a primary table-top lantern, I'd suggest a lantern with opaque rather than transparent plastic or glass. Now for the good: I haven't dropped this lantern on concrete yet; however, I have dropped it in the grass a few times and there was no damage. I imagine if you dropped it on concrete there is a good chance it would sustain at the least some cosmetic damage. I have to say, for the price and the plastic material, this lantern feels surprisingly solid. It sticks well at whatever level you pull it up, but is not difficult to open or close. Even the tiny metal handles stick at whatever angle you adjust them to. In fact, sliding this in and out to turn it on and off is one of my favorite features! I hang it from the top of my tent and it is incredibly convenient to simply pull down on it and have my whole tent lit up. That being said, it doesn't give quite the clarity simply hanging from above as it does if you aim the light directly at your duffle bag, for example, as you rifle through it looking for something. Still, it throws off a good amount of light. Additionally, this thing only takes something like three AA batteries and since it is an LED light, those should last a good, long time. The entire bottom unscrews to allow you to access the batteries... no wasting time searching for a flat head or a phillips to try to access the battery compartment. It screws on nice and tight, rather than having a little flimsy panel that pops in and out to reveal the battery compartment. Those panels that hold in batteries always seem to break eventually. No worries about that here! Furthermore, this thing is TINY! I mean, we're talking small.. Rhode Island could kick the crap out if it a war... that's how small it is! (Kudos if you get the reference.) It takes up practically no room in my gear box. You could fit it into a large pocket on your jacket. I usually put it in the outside pocket of my Kelty back pack when hiking. This thing throws off enough light to help my drunk self safely wander back to the tent and if that is true then I am sure it will throw off enough light for anyone to navigate in the dark. If you want to see thirty feet away, buy a mag light. If you want a lantern that's good for your tent or walking in the dark, then this is for you, especially if you are concerned about size. I would definitely recommend this product and if your expectations are reasonable then you will not regret this purchase.

These lanterns are great. Already had 2 and they really came in handy last year during a week's long power outage. The light is very bright and last for approximately 6+ hours. Uses 3 AA batteries. Light weight, would be great for camping and backpacking. Bought a set of 4 to accommodate future power outages. They are made really well and are very durable. Highly recommend.

Nice product, very bright and easy to use

I have used these a several times during a power outage or on the back patio. I even sent them to a family member to use during an electrical outage in their area. They loved them. The light is bright! Lights up a room! Not a warm hue. Just FYI. Perfect when you need to see!

I purchased this set of 4 lanterns because my son has them and used them to highlight the entire road leading into their campsite so our young grandsons weren't in the dark as they rode their bikes after dark. They are compact for a hiking trip as they pop up for use and collapse for toting in camping gear. We bought them for our emergency preparedness room in our basement and other critical spaces. They use 3 AA batteries and are not rechargeable. You can't adjust the brightness, but they are a good amount of light without being too bright. They are solid, light, and appear to be good quality.